Business

Zuma facing calls to step down

South African President Jacob Zuma is facing calls from party supporters to step down after the ANC's worst election performance since the end of apartheid in 1994. Ivor Bennett reports.

TRANSCRIPT +

Support for Jacob Zuma isn't hard to find on the streets of Johannesburg.
Especially not when there's a protest planned against him.
In this case, those opposing South Africa's leader were heavily outnumbered.
But the voices of dissent are growing
Following the ruling party's worst election performance since the end of apartheid.
SOUNDBITE (English) ANC SUPPORTER, TLAGI MOALE SAYING:
"The lives were lost for the ANC to be where it is today and we cannot afford to see it die down, die a slow death in the manner in which it is."
The ANC party still won the most votes in the poll last month
But it lost support in three major urban centres.
Protestors blame the result on Zuma's mismanagement of the economy, which is now teetering on the brink of recession.
Strengthening their case are the latest PMIs.
Showing a further, albeit slight, decline in overall business conditions.
Zuma's detractors say it's time for him to go.
SOUNDBITE (English) ANC SUPPORTER, GUGU NDIMA SAYING:
"It wasn't to disrupt to send through a memorandum to the SG indicating that we would like him to recall the President of the Republic as an ANC 'deployee' as well as ANC members to resign."
Zuma himself is at the G20 summit in China.
There's no sign of a leadership challenge yet,
But it may not be long before there is.

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